Microdosing schedules, and what the research found

Microdosing means taking a dose too small to cause a trip, on a repeating schedule. A microdose is described as roughly a tenth to a twentieth of a recreational dose, [Microdosing psychedelics: more questions than answers? An overview and suggestions for future research, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2019, read 28 October 2026] commonly 0.1 to 0.3 g of dried mushroom, several times a week. [Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing, eLife, 2021, read 28 October 2026] [Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls, Scientific Reports, 2022, read 28 October 2026] People report many benefits. The best-controlled studies so far have mostly not found effects beyond placebo.

The common schedules

Every schedule builds in days off. Tolerance to psilocybin is strong and develops with repeated doses, so daily use would blunt the effect. [The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act, Neuropharmacology, 2018, read 28 October 2026] See the tolerance calculator.

What the research found

Observational studies: people report improvements

In an observational study, psilocybin microdosers showed greater improvements in mood and mental health at one month than non-microdosers, and adding lion's mane and niacin made no difference. [Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls, Scientific Reports, 2022, read 28 October 2026] Studies like this cannot separate the substance from expectation: people who microdose expect to feel better.

Placebo-controlled studies: mostly no difference

• Self-blinding citizen science. 191 people prepared their own capsules, some with a microdose and some empty, without knowing which they took. The placebo group also improved, and no significant differences between groups were found. [Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing, eLife, 2021, read 28 October 2026]
• A double-blind lab study. With 0.5 g of dried mushrooms, acute effects were stronger than placebo only for people who correctly guessed they had the active dose, and the only other changes were a few small ones toward cognitive impairment. [Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study, Translational Psychiatry, 2022, read 28 October 2026]
• A preregistered study. Psilocybin microdosing did not affect emotion processing or symptoms of anxiety and depression compared with placebo. [Psilocybin microdosing does not affect emotion-related symptoms and processing: a preregistered field and lab-based study, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2022, read 28 October 2026]

A review of the field concluded that microdosing raises more questions than answers so far. [Microdosing psychedelics: more questions than answers? An overview and suggestions for future research, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2019, read 28 October 2026]

Some licensed centres in Oregon and Colorado and some retreats abroad offer microdosing programmes; their prices are listed separately from full-dose sessions on our listings.